The Southwest Musuem, closed since 2002 under a shadow of controversy will open its doors Saturday, May 19 from 10am to 4pm, for a "partial re-opening".

The Southwest Museum's Re-opening of the hallway in the lower lobby will be the first time the public has had an opportunity to visit the museum in many years. Wear your Friends of the SWM Coalition t-shirt, stop in for a bit and show that there is overwhelming interest in having the ENTIRE museum re-open, sooner rather than never.

The 4th Annual Peace in the Northeast March and Resource Fair will be held on Saturday, May 14, from 10:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.

The kick-off event will begin at 10:00 a.m. in the front of the Glassell Park Senior and Community Center (3750 Verdugo Road). Starting at 11:00 a.m., participants will then march for three miles to Florence Nightingale Middle School (3311 N. Figueroa Street), to join the Community Resource Fair.

Bus transportation to and from the event will be available. Buses to join the kick-off event and Peace March will leave promptly at 9:30 a.m. at the corner of Drew/Estara, and at 9:45 a.m. at all other locations that include:

Washington Irving Middle School

Florence Nightingale Middle School

Burbank Middle School

Franklin High School

Buses will depart from the Community Resource Fair at 3:30 p.m.

The 4th Annual Peace in the Northeast March and Resource Fair is a community-driven effort that brings together local churches, schools, police, businesses, city officials, youth serving agencies, neighborhood councils, and residents who are committed to ending gang violence and promoting peace in Northeast Los Angeles.

" Fox squirrels (Sciurus niger) were introduced to the Los Angeles area in about 1904. Civil war and Spanish American war veterans residing at the Sawtelle Veteran’s Home on Sepulveda and Wilshire Boulevards brought fox squirrels to this site from their homes in the areas surrounding the Mississippi Valley (possibly Tennessee). "

I started updating, editing and cleaning up the NELALive list of NEIGHBORHOOD BLOGS AND WEBSITES this morning. And in the process discovered Dateline>City of Angels -- Exploring the History, Mystery and Reality of Life in Fabled L.A. What a treasure!

But, speaking as an automobile driver here, I soon realized I did not know the rules of the road that apply to sharing the streets with bicyclists. I think that might be true for many drivers.

Here's a good example: If a driver needs to make a right turn, do you merge into the bike lane before making the turn, or are you supposed stay out of the bike lane completely, and cross it only when you come to the corner to make your turn?

The answer is merge into the bike lane, in the last 200 feet before making the turn.

A bicycle lane is shown by a solid white line along either side of the street, four or more feet from the curb. The white line will usually be broken near the corner and the words "BIKE LANE" will be painted in the lane. When you are making a right turn and are within 200 feet of the corner or other driveway entrance, you must enter the bicycle lane to make the turn. Do not drive in the bicycle lane at any other time.

You may park in a bicycle lane if your vehicle does not block a bicyclist and/or there is not a "No Parking" sign posted.

Pedestrians are not allowed in bicycle lanes when sidewalks are available. Drivers of motorized bicycles should use bicycle lanes carefully to avoid collisions with bicyclists.

I read some comments in a bicyclist forum about many drivers darting across the bike lane to make a right turn at the last possible moment.

I would offer that those drivers are probably not purposely trying to wipe out cyclists; they are operating under the misktaken notion that they must stay out of the bike lane at all times.

Councilman Reyes, Councilman Huizar, if you are reading this, may I suggest a series of Public Services Annoucements (street posters, online, radio, whatever) might help inform drivers and cyclists alike about safely sharing the road!

When you see shadows, it is a bright, sunny day. If you don't see shadows, it is cloudy and overcast. So, "sunny" equals more winter? What's with that?

February 2 is the middle point between Winter Solstice on December 21 and Spring Equinox on March 20.

And forklore has it that if the midpoint of Winter is bright and sunny, the remaining weeks of Winter will be harsh and stormy.

So ... Seeing a shadow on February 2 equals "bright and sunny" which equals more more harsh Winter weather to come. More here.

In ancient Celtic traditions, the middle points between solticies and equinoxes were known as Cross Quarter Days and were celebrated as High Holy Days. February 2, the Cross Quarter Day betwwen Winter Soltice and Spring Equinox, was called Imbolc.

February 2 is also exactly 40 days after December 25. Ancient Jewish women celebrated a ritual purification exactly 40 days after the birth of a son. According to early Christian tradition, Mary, the mother of Jesus, would have celebrated this ritual on February 2, 40 days after December 25.

According to an old English song:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,Come, Winter, have another flight;If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,Go Winter, and come not again.

According to an old Scotch couplet:

If Candlemas Day is bright and clear,There'll be twa (two) winters in the year.

Another variation of the Scottish rhyme:

If Candlemas day be dry and fair,The half o' winter to come and mair,If Candlemas day be wet and foul,The half of winter's gone at Yule.